Following Facebook

By Kathie Moore

Monday

Mar 24, 2014 at 12:01 AMMar 24, 2014 at 7:00 PM

Love it, hate it or ignore it – Facebook has secured its place as an iconic part of the Internet and many people’s daily routine. As with many things in life, it can be useful or useless depending on how it is applied.

I ventured into the world of photos, posts and the now-defunct “pokes’’ out of curiosity but over time have found it to be a valuable tool. To be clear, with the exception of one cousin who is in truth more friend than relative, I do not use the site as an exchange to follow family. My personal preference has been to cultivate a list of friends with whom I share like interests.

There has been a notable increase in the “commercialization” of the site over time. Through the magic of electronic stalking that I personally find more intrusive than anything NSA has to offer, advertisements for items related to some search I made entirely independent of Facebook, pop up among the latest Grumpy Cat meme, notice of an upcoming event of interest or link to an article of interest.

One of the frequent complaints I’ve heard leveled at the service is the matter of time wasted navigating what can be an overwhelming glut of information at your disposal. In time it becomes easier to spot what is worth scrolling past and what is more deserving of attention. Overall I have found the items of interest shared by friends to be an incredible time-saving device, as it would take hours and hours of scanning national, local and miscellaneous obscure sites to access all the columns, statistics, graphs and latest newsworthy updates I find relevant that have been shared by a carefully cultivated cadre of cohorts accumulated over time. In my opinion, the secret to Facebook, as with life, is to choose one’s friends wisely.

In the process of becoming familiar with Facebook, I experienced a period of adjustment to become accustomed to some of the unique vernacular associated with its use. For example, a familiar concept that is encapsulated with a one-word characterization: the act of placing one’s hand flat across one’s face or lowering one’s face into one’s hand or hands often exaggerated by giving the motion more force and making a slapping noise when the hand comes in contact with the face (think “I could’ve had a V-8!”) – conveniently shortened to “face palm.”

I find this gesture, or at least the concept behind it – a display of frustration, disappointment, embarrassment, shock, surprise or sarcasm – comes into play frequently in exploring links shared by friends often with headlines so incredible you would think they must be a joke until you follow the link only to discover a legitimate news item.

To illustrate, a recent headline from the Lawrence Journal World online: KANSAS LEGISLATOR PROPOSES SALARY INCREASE: ‘WE SHOULD BE PAID SIGNIFICANTLY BETTER’!

Please tell me I am not the only one who finds that suggestion outrageous, given our state’s current fiscal challenges, not to mention the dubious value of some recently proposed legislation.

Or how about this reaction to the remake of Carl Sagan’s ’80s mini-series “Cosmos”: “CREATIONISTS COMPLAIN NEIL DEGRASSE TYSON’S ‘COSMOS’ ISN’T GIVING THEM AIRTIME”?

Really? A basically conservative and therefore likely Fairness Doctrine-loathing group complaining they’re not being allowed to rebut an opposing opinion. Actually I found this one deserving of a double head-smack at the idea of equating an exploration of scientific achievements with religious dogma.

And in these times of economic instability, when Siemens has done much to alleviate unemployment in Reno County: “KANSAS SENATE COMMITTEE VOTES TO REPEAL RENEWABLE ENERGY STANDARDS.” No further comment necessary.

This brings me to another source that elicited the familiar face palm on closer examination. In a thinly disguised campaign-like ad currently appearing on television, the 2014 Kansas rate of unemployment rate of 10th in the nation under the governor’s guidance was touted. What was not included were the Bureau of Labor stats for the first three years of his leadership in 2011, 2012 and 2013, showing Kansas at, respectively, 10th, 12th and 12th in the rankings – not so stellar an accomplishment given more facts.

This exercise in incredulity could go on and on except for space constraints and the risk of headache from too much face palming even if only used figuratively. Despite this inherent danger, I’m deeply appreciative of the outstanding group of Facebook friends who so generously share of themselves and their findings.

Kathie Moore, rural Hutchinson, is a freelance artist retired from the U.S. Postal Service. Email: klmnews45@gmail.com.

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